Laptop Processor

A processor is the logic circuitry that responds to and processes the basic instructions that drive a computer. The term processor has generally replaced the term CPU (central processing unit). The processor in a personal computer or that is embedded in small devices is often called a microprocessor.

In simple English - think of a processor as the computer motor, the faster the processor the better running and faster computer you'll have. Laptop processors don't develop as fast as the computer processors in general as they're built differently but it's usually not a problem as you don't need the most recent processor anyway.

It's important to keep in mind that the new applications like MS Windows every time a new version comes out demand more power out of the processor so it's always better to be prepared and buy a little better processor. I recommend you get at least 700 MHZ.

Intel is still king of the processors and their processors sell as Pentium 4 and Pentium Celeron. What's the difference?

• Core - The Celeron chip is based on a Pentium 4 core.
• Cache - Celeron chips have less cache memory than Pentium 4 chips do. A Celeron might have 128 kilobytes of L2 cache, while a Pentium 4 can have four times that. The amount of L2 cache memory can have a big effect on performance.
• Clock speed - Intel manufactures the Pentium 4 chips to run at a higher clock speed than Celeron chips. The fastest Pentium 4 might be 60 % faster than the fastest Celeron.
• Bus speed - There are differences in the maximum bus speeds that the processors allow. Pentium 4s tend to be about 30 percent faster than Celerons.

Pentium 4 processors are faster but it might not make as much difference as you might think. If you're using your computer for browsing the web and sending emails than you can just as well buy a Celeron processor and save a considerable amount of money as Celeron processors are a lot cheaper.